Soak-tank apparatus.



No. 858,740. f PATENTED'JULY 2, 1907. v G. J. MEYER.

SOAK TANK APPARAIIJS.

APPLIUATION FILED DBO. 22, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

(90% bin e PATENTED JULY 2, 1907.

' :No. 858,740.: A G. J. MEYER.

SOAK TANK APPARATUS. 1K1?LIQATIQH-FILED DEC. 2Z 19U5.

' a sums-surma.

' UNITED GEORGE MEYER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

SOAK-TANK APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2,1907.

- Appliuatlon filed December 22.190ii. Burial No. 292,509.

a bottle-cleaning establishment and to providers sine ple, economical and efficient vertical soak-tank apparatus that consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination oi parts hereinafter particularly set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

Figure l ,oi'the drawings represents a partly sectional elevation of a soak-tank apparatus in accordance with my invention, the same being indicated by line l-l in i Fig. 2,-which Fig. 2, is a plan view of the same partly in horizontal section on lines 22 in Fig. 1, parts in this showing being broken, Fig. 3, a partly sectional view of afragmentof the apparatus, the same being indicated by line 3-3 in Fig. l, and Fig. 4, a perspective view of a manhole casing of said apparatus.

Rcferring by letter to the drawings, A indicates a.

vertical tank and B a semi-circular hood supported over the same. The tank is provided with a drain-outlet b and a normally covered man-hole, the casing c of which man-hole is made to be flush with the tank-bottom, as shown in Fig- 1. As a result of this construction the clcaning'out ofthe tank is facilitated, an offset inner horizontal portion (1 of the casing-flange, bolted to said tank-bottom, being necessary to the carrying out of this feature of my improved apparatus. The casing of the man-hole is provided with the usual yoke e, and a screw f has its bearing in the yoke to oppose the closefitting cover g of said man-hole.

The tank and upper opposite side-Brackets E, of the same are provided with bearings for paralleluppcr and lower shafts G, D. Fast on the upper shaft 0 his wormwheel F in mesh with a worm G of a drive-shift for which a bracket E and the tank A is provided with bearings. Fast-on the shaft G is a pair of sprocl'jctwheels h and a pair of similar wheels 1' are fast on the shaft D, said wheels of the respective shafts being cngaged with chain-bolts, the links of which are of the peculiar construction herein shownand described.

Each link is a single casting comprising triangular sides jconnccted by a spacing-Web k and an eye-boss m, this boss of one link being caught ona pin it between ends of the sides of the link next adjacent. The triangular sides of the links are provided with outer lugs p, and. the disposition oi said links. is such that inner ends of bottle-holders I bolted to said lugs against inclined outer edges of the aforesaid 'links incline backward from the direction of the travel of the chain -belt, at a fining lifted the gate of the bottle-holder passing the predetermined anglethis being an in portant feature of the apparatus.

Each bottle-holder is provided at its outer end with a swing-gate 1 that automatically opens, by gravity, above the tank on the feed-side of the apparatus where space is had, between. said tank and the hood B, through which 'to load bottles 'into the holders. By means of earn-tracks J, supported 'ijnthe tank, the gate of each bottle-holder is automatically closed-and thus held during the travel of said bottle-holder in'said tank. The gates are also held closed when the bottleholders are traveling in the rear portion of the hood B with which said gates have contact. f

At the delivery-side or rear of the. apparatus, a self-' closing shutter K is shown hinged ,to'jthe hood B and provided with an outer lug 1' connected, bye link L, with a lever M iulcrumed in connection with 2. lug s of said hood. An anti-friction sleeve ton a-side stud of the lever M is in the path of a striker-Inga of an otherwise annular side-flange 'v of a-spurwhecl N that turns on a stud w of the bracket E aforesaid and meshes with a similar wheel 0 fast on the shaft 0 above specified, the tiine of this gear-mechanism being such that the shutter K is lifted during the interval that each alternate bottle-holder is passingthe dischargespace provided-betweenthe aforesaid tank and hood. there being an odd numberof the bottlc-holdersin connection with the chain-belts of the apparatus. 'The shutter :dischfgrgespace will be opened by force of gravity acting on. bottles that are now free to descend an incline P arranged to extend into a rinse-tank Q of any suit-- able construction, and l'roni the foregoing it will be understood. that provision is had for conveying bottles twice through the tank A when dcsirable,but the shut- .ter K may be disconnected horn-its automatic .controlling mechanism so that the several'bottle-holders may successively discharge their contents into the rinsetank. While the hood B and shutter K are prefer-rod they are not absolutely essential as parts 0! the ammratus. v i

Owing to the peculiar inclination of the bottle-holdcrs any form oi bottles properly placed t erein-will'be entirely filled with the solution in thc soaktank during the downward travel of said holders, and said bottles 1 have opportunity to discharge their contents after passing clear of said solution. To insure the efliciency of the apparatus, vertical guides R- for the chain-belts are provided, and these go ides extend down to approximately the center of the lower sprocket-wheels. The rinse-tank walls are each provided at the upper end with an inner overhang x that prevents the water in said tank from splashing out. In practice, it is desirable to feed the bottles to the machine bottom first, said bottles being grasped by the 1 1 neck in each hand of the operator as they usually stand in cases. Thus a rapid feeding of the machine is effected and chipping oi the bottle-necks avoided, such chipping being common in machines that require feed ing of bottles neck first.

In my construction of soelotenk apparatus the play of the links of the chain-belts aforesaid is'constantly in 'onedirection, whereby the bottle-holders can be arranged adjacent to one another very compact to thus a driving-gear in connection with one of said shafts,

2. The combination in a soak-tank apparatus of parallel upper and lower shafts for which bearings are provided, sprocket-wheels fast on the shafts, chain-belts engaging the sprockebwhcels and buying the outer edges of their links suitably inclined, bottlo-holders secured at their inner ends against the inzlined edges of the belt-links to project therefrom at a pfcdetermincd angle, swing-gates provided :1tthe outer ends of the bottle-holders, means in the tankfor automatically closing the gates and hold' ing the same in closed position, and a driving-geniin connection with one of said shufts.'

3. The combination of a soak tank,.:1 semi-circular hood tor the same, shafts for which bearings are provided.

sprocket-wheels fast on the shafts, chain-belts engaging the sprocket-wheels, bottle-holders secured to the belts at a suitable angle thereto and provided at their outer ends with swing-gates, means in the tank for automatically closing the gates and holding the same in closed position, a self-closing shutter for a discharge-space between said tank and hood, a driving-gear in connection with one of said shafts, and mechanism for automatic predetermined opening of the shutter.-

position, a self-closing shutter for n diacharges pace between said tank and hood, :1 driving-gear in connection with one of said shafts, o. spur-wheel fast on this drivenshait, another spur-wheel in mesh with the one aforesaid and provided with u flange having a striker-lug, a lever pivoted to the aforesaid hood and provided with a side projection inibe path of said lug, and a. link connecting the lever and shutter.

5. The combination of :1 soak-tank, shafts for v'vhich bearings are provided, sprocket-wheels fast on the shafts, chaiwbelts. engaging the sprockebwheels and each consisting of links that severally comprise triangular sides connected by an integral spacing-web and. eye-boss, the boss of: one link being caught on a pin between ends of the sides of the link next adjacent; bottle-holders fastened to side lugs 01 the links to incline at a suitable angle, and provided at their. outer ends with swing-gates,'moans in the tank for automatically closing the gates and liold ing the some in closed position, and a driving-gear in conuection with one of said shafts. 1

The "soak-tank having a. manhole, provided with a casing that is flush with the bottom of said tank.

7. The, soak-tank having n mun hole provided with :1 casing having a flange offset to form an inner horizontal portion i'hut'is bolted to the bottom of said tank.

8. The combination in a soak-tank apparatus of-vcrtically disposed cliain'belts the links of which have in cliuod outer edges, means for driving the belts, and bottle holders secured iii: their inner ends against said inclined edges of the belt-links to project therefrom at a predetcrinined angle.

9. The combination in a soak-tank apparatus of vver- -tically disposed chain-belts the links of which have inof water therefrom-and an incline from said soak-tanksupported on the overhangof said rinse'tank.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in the presence of two witnesses.

eno. .T. MEYER.

.Witnesscs N. E. ()LIIHAN'I, GEORGE i nnnnn. 

